Changeling: The Dreaming

Changeling is a great game that is based on fairy tales from around the world. You play one type of Fae or another (anything from a globe-trotting Eshu to a blood-thirsty Redcap). It's hard to make these characters bland and the flightly nature of the Changeling world allows for endless possibilities as long as your GM is flexible. This is not a game for GMs who like to have all their ducks in a row, nor is it a game for people who only like high powered campaigns. It is ideal however, for the low powered player who likes lots of character development. Also, the nature of Changelings makes it very easy for the campaign to stay upbeat if that is your choice. However, Changelings can have all sorts of interactions with other supernaturals, giving the campaign a chance to get dark if that is your desire. The book itself is in full color, and has the most beautiful art work of any Whitewolf book I've seen (the whole Changeling series of books is well done). I can see how Changeling's reputation for being a girls' game is true but guys, if you like character development, you should give this one a try!

For all of those who are tired of the angst of Vampires, give Changeling a chance! Yes, they are "sad" creatures, forever forbidden from their home, doomed to dwell in a world that threatens to murder their souls on a daily basis, but at least they aren't completely immersed in their own misery! I've tried Vampire, read Mage, thumbed through Werewolf, and the only one that truly captivates me is Changeling. If you're looking for diverse characters, entertaining stories, and infinite possibilities, look no further than Changeling: The Dreaming.

Some call it 'fluff', some scoff at the idea of playing a faerie; however, a look deeper into the heart of the book will reveal the Changelings have as much to fear about the Endless Winter as the other supernaturals of Gehenna, the Apocalypse, the Oblivion and the Ascension War. There is a constant battle between fantasy and reality, not only are Changelings caught in the middle they are expected to fight on either side. Second edition is truly a 'glamorous' work of art, with its artwork, cultural setting, clearer rules and WW system. It can be much more challenging to run a crossover chronicle with the other WoD games but it can be very rewarding. Changeling offers an outlet of pure creativity, however this does not always equate to silliness, for the themes of Changeling can be as subtle and dark as any of those in Vampire. I may be incredibly biased, but Changeling is by far my favorite game in the WW series, for its creative outlet and strong ties to history and mythology as well as continued White Wolf quality.

What can I say, I really love this game. The setting is execlent, and it's (gasp) a semi-positive game out of White Wolf. The problem is this game is really not for everybody. My girlfriend hates the game saying it is a game of "Let's Play Pretend, that we are Playing Pretend." Which is an accurate description of the game in a negitive view point. I just like it because I like fantasy, but am really sick of the AD & D version of fantasy, and was looking for something different. So if you like different give the game a try, but trust me, it is not for everybody.

Changeling is, to be frank, amazing. This game makes the best use of mythology in the modern world of any of the games I have ever seen. Far more mature and subtle than Shadowrun and it's ilk, and without the self-obsessed melodramatic angst of many of WW's other games, Changeling is a game that brings up issues of present vs past, of dreams vs reality, of mythology and tradition vs new creativity and trends. With this game you are free to do anything from a Campbellian quest to kill the dragon to speculation on the way that capitalism and creativity shape the way we think - or don't think. It is, quite simply, the best of White Wolf's productions.